Tester announces support for Iran deal

WASHINGTON – Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., said Thursday he would support the Iran nuclear agreement, bringing the White House closer to getting enough Democratic support necessary to override opposition to the deal.

Tester’s announcement makes him the 19th Senate Democrat to publicly endorse the deal reached between the U.S., Iran and five other countries to halt Iran’s nuclear weapon ambitions in exchange for loosening economic sanctions and inspections. Tester said he read the agreement, consulted with more than 20 experts and gathered input from Montanans before deciding to support it.

“It’s clear this deal is the only option right now to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon,” Tester said. “This agreement isn’t built on trust — it’s about holding Iran accountable through intrusive inspections and aggressive monitoring. If Iran violates this agreement, all options are on the table to ensure the security of America, Israel and our allies.”

Tester posted the proposed agreement on his website and encouraged Montanans to read it.

GOP congressional leaders will bring to the House and Senate floors by Sept. 17 resolutions of disapproval that seek to block the deal from taking place. President Barack Obama has said he will veto it if it reaches his desk.

Congress could then vote to override a veto, which would require the support of two-thirds of lawmakers in each body. Obama would need either 34 senators or 146 House members to oppose an override to uphold the veto.

David Parker, a political scientist at Montana State University, said it was possible Tester decided to back the deal to encourage other Democrats in the Senate to support the Obama administration. It also could be a way for Tester, a member of Democratic leadership in the Senate, to support his party and the White House.

Parker noted that Tester campaigned for the Senate a decade ago on issues including the military, and has maintained his skepticism toward military force while weighing the safety impact any action would have on soldiers.

“He’s the type of person that would like to try to exhaust all measures first,” Parker said.

Tester, a farmer elected to his second term in 2012, oversees the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, a group dedicated to electing Democrats to the Senate.

The Iran deal has revealed a split among Democratic leadership in the Senate. While Tester and Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., support the deal, Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., who is poised to become the next Senate Democratic leader, has announced his opposition. Most Republicans in the House and Senate oppose the deal.

Montana Republicans Sen. Steve Daines and Rep. Ryan Zinke have said the Obama administration’s deal with Iran is a mistake that is unlikely to stop the country from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

The Montana Republican Party criticized Tester on Thursday for supporting the Iran agreement.

“By backing this deal, Sen. Tester continues to follow President Obama with blind party ideology, putting our national security at risk and giving Iran the ability to develop a nuclear weapon,” the organization said. “It’s beyond comprehension that Tester would put Obama’s failed foreign policy agenda ahead of the safety and welfare of Montanans and all Americans.”

Susan Davis with USA Today contributed to this story. Contact Christopher Doering at cdoering@gannett.com or reach him at Twitter: @cdoering